a co-worker is headed to Whitehorse for 10 days in July for a last family fling before his eldest son heads off to university. Boys are 15 and 17, and both are gamer/living room couch type of guys. Dad has done some paddling in Ontario with the family. He got tickets on sale on Leap day to Whitehorse. Wants to know what he should do that will engage the kids. he is also thinking of doing some camping or very easy flat water canoeing, or perhaps renting and RV. Any suggestions?

What places to see/stay/do?

As well, any I should take off the list from below?1. get accommodation for day of arrival right away.2. visitor center3. Legislative Assembly3. Yukon beingamiles canyonMcBride museumYukon preserve'carcrossemerald lakes.s. Klondiketakhini hot poolskwalin dun cultural centerYukonhorse back riding for a daycamping on lac labargemining museum (copperbelt Railway?)Bennett Beach?

_________________

Present: Slip, Slap and Slop, hide from the sun! Past: Get some colour in those cheeks! Paddle Naked!

The SS Klondike tour takes an hourLake Laberge is a poor choice for beginning canoeist. Kanoe People and presumably Up North have day and mild overnight canoe tripsCarcross is a ghost town. Skagway AK is way better or better yet HainesDawson City is eight hours away with several campgrounds. It's a fun town mix of old and up to date. Gold mining is activeThe train out of Skagway to Lake Bennett is fun Yep they will need passportsTeslin Lake has some campingThere is Miles Canyon for some hikingAnd the aviation museum is good

Dawson City, definitely. A five minute walk from the territorial campground there's a graveyard for ships that's just dangerous enough that teenage boys would find it fun to climb through. The music festival is July 22-24. It makes accommodations, showers and the ferry crossing a little busy but the town sure is fun then!

There is great hiking to be found in Thombstone (closer to Dawson than Whitehorse) and Kluane. Kluane has more options but Thombstone is a little more remote and peaceful. The downside to hiking there is the kids would probably get "tired" or bored before climbing high enough for good views.

Still lots to do in and around Whitehorse if they don't want to put the 6-8 hour drive in to Dawson.

But whatever you do, book a car well in advance. I ended up with a couple of gash days in Whitehorse and thought -- oh well, rent a car and do some tourism, but they were all gone and I was more or less beached.

The Beringia Museum is highly recommended in town.

Last edited by Peter K. on March 2nd, 2016, 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

If you're going to Dawson, then head up the Dempster to the Arctic Circle. It may just be a sign in the middle of the tundra but the blueberries were plentiful and it still a highlight I remember 35 years later.

Kluane from the highway was just a big lake - I'm sure there is much more to see, but that's what I remember about it.

I don't see "pan for gold" on that list but you can't go to Dawson and not do that.

Somewhere between Whitehorse and Dawson you can get the world's largest cinnamon buns. Pretty sure that place is still in business.

A dinner (or lunch) out wouldn't be complete without a meal at the Klondike Rib and Salmon. Fabulous meals and desserts.

Kanoe People are great folk. Rent a canoe to experience the Yukon River for a short 12 mile trip down to the Takini River takeout. In 8 trips through this section I have never seen less than 30+ eagles, far more concentrated than on any lower section of the river. But I agree with littleredcanoe..... do not venture out into Lake Laberge unless you are well prepared and know your stuff.

However, the campground on the west side of the lake, near the island, is a good one. Nearby find "Yukon Sourdough and Mom's Bakery", really good stuff, pie to die for. On the other hand, the "famous" cinnamon buns at Braeburn Lodge, also nearby, are indeed huge but otherwise did not impress me. Below average taste, and the owner was kind of gruff and unpleasant.

Miles Canyon is a must. Be sure to cross the suspension bridge and hike the short tail on the other side. Don't plan to paddle it unless you are in race training.

Speaking of races, watch for me (and a few others) beginning the Yukon 1000 Mile Canoe Race. It starts in Whitehorse at 11:00 on Monday, 18 July. Takes about 6 days for us to complete.

Lots of places to stay in Whitehorse, ranging from camping to hostels to fine hotels. If camping, the Robert Service Campground just south of the city is a good one. From there you can walk a bridge over the river to visit the Whitehorse Salmon Fishway at the dam. Pretty interesting.

Dawson is a long way away, but worth the trip if you have the time. It is a bit touristy, but set up like an old west town with board sidewalks and dirt streets. Be sure to partake of the "sourtoe cocktail" in the Downtown Hotel. Klondike Kate's is a good place to stay the night, and enjoy a good meal. Diamond Tooth Gertie's is a hot spot. A short drive up the Dome will give you a spectacular view of the river.

On the way to Dawson be sure to stop at Five Fingers Rapids. Take the 300+ wood stair step, then nearly a mile through the woods, down to the observation platform directly overlooking the rapids. Watch me negotiate and plow through the huge standing waves on the only really rough part of the river during the Y1K.

Kluane is breathtaking for its beauty. Head on over to Haines on the long drive, or take the ferry from Skagway. Make a round trip of it.

Skagway is the epitomy of a tourist town. If you realize that, with a jewelry and T-shirt shop every few yards, it is otherwise worth the trip for the scenery along the way if nothing else. Definitely try to avoid times when the huge tourist ships are in town, offloading literally thousands of tourists at a time. You can find the landing times online.

The ferry from Skagway to much quieter, less touristy, but much smaller Haines is cheap. Haines has a great movie-scape rustic frontier town. Small, but not crowded at all (unless the small tour boat is in town). The microbrew there is fantastic. Try the spruce tip beer. Pizza at the inn is good too.

Carcross is interesting for its colorful buildings. Not much there, but they are trying, and unique. It's on the way to Skagway. Lots of interesting history in this area to learn.

I think those are the wrong cinnamon buns. You want the ones at Johnsons Crossing on the Teslin. Before Whitehorse. Huge and yummy one bun does for two. We were there four years agoIt's hard to paddle and eat at the same time but they smelled so good we couldn't wait

Ohhh! I would skip Findland and go to cheer you on if I could! How about any short (no more than 5 day circle canoe trips right in the area) on flat water? How much different from Ontario would it be?

Find out. It's not loop trip country but outfitters in Whitehorse can do shuttles In five days you can do 250 miles. On the Teslin from cinnamon buns to CarmacksDown the Yukon would be slower as you have to work with the wind gods on Lak LabergeIt's NOTHING like Ontario

Haven't heard about Johnny's buns. Will have to give them a try. The local Whitehorse race director and others native to Whitehorse told us it was Braeburn's that were so big and famous. Big, yes, but nothing great IMO.

I paddled the length of Lake Laberge just once when it was like smooth glass the whole way, but the still air was hot and sweaty. Three other times the weather changed several times in the 5-6 hour paddle from end to end. A following wind with tall lugging roller waves shoving the stern of a big voyageur canoe around, cross winds sloshing waves abeam, strong head winds with thunder storms and angry whitecaps and spray, interspersed with sun. Laberge gives it all before it is done with you.

During the race we are required to remain close to less than 200 meters from the "marge" (shore) of Laberge, regardless of conditions, or face disqualification. A mandatory SPOT in track transmission mode instantly tells all of our location.

It seemed like every place we stopped on our trip up to Dawson had cinnamon buns. Most were giant. We bought some in northern BC on the Alaska Highway that were quite good. The giant ones didn't seem appealing to me.

To enhance you enjoyment. Get a copy of Robert Service Cremation of Sam McGeeDownload Stan Rogers singing Northwest Passage and Canol Road. Visit the Kopper King after you listen to Canol Road. I can stay buzzed for about 500 km on a Cinnamon Bun and a large coffee. No chance of dozing off. Birding Tip: Arctic Terns summer in the Whitehouse area of the river. You will have fun what ever you do, soStay safeOaf/Dave

_________________You are never to old to set another goal or dream a new dream. C.S.Lewis“ We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that, I am extremely grateful.” Stephen Hawking. 1942 - 2018

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